Absent Friends
by PinkyTardis
Summary: The 11th Doctor and a young Brigadier must work together to solve a mystery. They meet another old friend, who has now become an enemy. RIP Nicholas Courtney, you will be missed!
1. Chapter 1

It was dusk on a crispy Autumn day. In a large park, three boys were kicking around a football, each one trying to show off his moves. They were shouting friendly insults back and forth as they ran down the grassy field. They were so absorbed in their game that they failed to notice the sun slip beneath the horizon, and the stars beginning to twinkle in the darker part of the sky. They also failed to notice a strange, blue haze that was moving slowly overhead, creeping towards them from the direction of the fading sun. The park was surrounded by trees, and as the strange blue haze edged closer it seemed to be spewing bolts of blue lightening onto the highest branches. It was the eldest boy, Peter, who saw the haze first. He stopped in his tracks to stare, letting the ball fly past him. The other two boys stopped as well, and looked up to see the encrouching blue cloud.

"What is that thing?" said Peter.

"I dunno." his friend George came to stand next to him, studying the cloud. "I've never seen anything like it."

The youngest boy, Adam, stayed the farthest back. "Whatever it is, it looks dangerous. I think we should probably get out of here." He started to back up as he was speaking. "What if it's aliens or something?"

"Don't be stupid" Peter said scornfully. "It's just a cloud, a thunderstorm."

"A thunderstorm?" said George skeptically. "But it's so small, and it's not raining or anything."

The blue cloud had cleared the edges of the trees and was now drifting over the grassy field.

"Come on, let's not stand around debating it, we've got to get out of here, it's coming closer!" Adam was pleading with his friends. "Whatever it is, the adults can sort it out."

Peter snorted back at him. "Oh fine, we'll go home now you big baby." He looked back up at the cloud, which was now almost over them. "But I have to grab my ball first."

Adam cried out "No Peter, don't go, we can get it later! I have a bad feeling that thing's dangerous. "

But Peter ignored him, and as he crouched down to pick up the ball the blue cloud moved directly over him, and stopped.

George gasped. "What's it doing now? It's not moving anymore!"

Peter looked up above him, the ball clutched in his hands. He looked as though he now regretted his decision to recover it. "Why's it stopping over me?" Panic was beginning to creep into his voice.

"Move out of there!" Adam shouted. "Just get away, now!"

No sooner had Peter started away from the cloud when a large blue bolt burst out, hitting Peter square in the back. His scream ended midway as both he and the cloud vanished. The ball fell to the ground, bouncing slightly and rolling to a halt. It was singed and slightly smoldering.

The Doctor was snoozing in a large sunchair, lightly snoring. The brim of his hat was pulled down over his eyes and a old book was in imminent danger of sliding off of his lap. A cold cup of tea sat on the table beside him. His mouth was covered in the large folds of his scarf, making him look rather like a large pile of old clothes waiting for the wash. Underneath his hat his eyes flew open. He had an uncanny sense of when he was about to be disturbed.

Someone tapped on his shoulder. "Sir?"

He ignored it, feining sleep.

"Sir?"

He snored a little louder.

The tapping became incessant. "Sir?"

The Doctors voice was slightly muffled by his scarfe. "I say, didn't I give orders not to be disturbed? I'm fairly sure I did."

The attendant, a young woman, wondered if the Doctor was even a guest in the hotel as she had never seen him before. "Sir, I do apologize, but I do have an urgent telephone call for you."

"Telephone call?"

"Yes sir, from a Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. He says it is terribly important and that he really must speak to you right away."

At this the Doctor pulled the brim of his hat from his eyes and looked up at the girl, who was waiting with a telephone on a tray. "Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart calling me?"

"Yes sir"

The Doctor sighed. "All right, give me the phone." She handed him the receiver and he pulled down his scarfe to hold it to his mouth.

"Hello Brigadier, I'm fairly sure I gave orders not to be disturbed, didn't I?"

"Yes well Doctor this is an emergency, I need you at UNIT headquarters, on the double."

"Ah yes, you see Brigidier I would love to help you but I really must get back to finishing my nap. How did you find me anyway? You're lucky I happened to be on Earth."

"We have people who are always on the look out for your infernal blue box, the moment it is sighted it is reported directly back to me."

"So you're spying on me now? Why should I help you at all?"

The Brigadiers response was crisp. "Because Doctor, a young boy has been killed by an unknown entity, and we need to find out what it is before it kills again. But of course, if your nap is more important..."

"No no, of course not Brigadier." The Doctor was slightly mollified. "I'll be there shortly." He hung up the phone, and the attendant stared at him. He stood up, and the book fell to the ground. "Well, got to be off. Official business and all that nonsense." He grinned his big teeth at her, and stooped down to pick up his book. The attendant still stood, staring at him. "Oh I see, you must want a tip or something right?" With his free hand he patted his pockets and pulled out a small coin which he pressed in her hand. As he walked away she looked down at the silver coin in her palm. It was an ancient Roman denarius. When she looked up again the man was gone, and for a few seconds she could hear a strange, wheezing sound coming from the direction he had disappeared.

The Brigadier tapped his foot impatiently, and wondered what was keeping the Doctor. It had been hours since the phone call, and there was still no sign of him. He looked over at Benton. "What exactly is the point of having a time machine if you are never going to show up anywhere on time?"

"Don't worry Sir, I'm sure he'll be along any minute." Benton tried to reassure him. "You know how he is."

The Brigadier was getting more irritated by the moment. "Yes well my time is extremely valuble, and it cannot be wasted by me having to wait for some arrogant-"

A loud whirring, groaning sound cut him off, and a blue police box began to materialize a few feet away from him.

"Well thank heavens for that, finally." The Brigadier straightened up to face the Tardis and waited for the Doctor to emerge. After a moment the door opened, and out walked a gangly, skinny young man. He wore a tweed jacket with a red bow tie, and his face was chasmed by the massive grin he was bestowing upon the Brigadier. Grabbing the Brigadiers shoulders, the strange young man stretched out his long neck until they were almost nose to nose, and rapidly moved his eyes back and forth.

"Oh Brigadier, it really has been too long, it's wonderful to see you!"

The Brigadier cleared his throat loudly in irritation. "Yes, and who might you be? Where is the Doctor? We've been waiting here for hours."

The young man laughed. "Yes I didn't think you would recognize me. I'm the Doctor! My face may have changed but you've seen that before, I would've thought you knew me well enough by now, Brigadier." He winked at Benton as he said this.

The Brigadier remained unmoved. "So tell me, how am I supposed to tell if you're an imposter if you keep changing your face? If that really is you, Doctor."

The young man shrugged. "Well, I'd have thought the Tardis would've given it away, but if you don't want my help..." He turned and started back towards the blue box.

"No, no Doctor please." The Brigadier grabbed his arm. "I believe you, but you must understand that it can be difficult getting used to. This is the fourth or fifth face I've seen, how many more are you planning to show up with?" He walked to a desk and picked up a file. "And what the blazes took you so long to get here? I called you hours ago!"

The Doctor looked apologetic. "I'm truly sorry for that Brigadier. I did leave immediately after speaking to you, but I took a rather indirect route. It seemed that the Tardis had other plans at the time, so just in case I forgot about your call, I tied a knot in my hanky!" He pulled the hanky triumphantly out of his pocket. "But then I forgot about the hanky, and when I finally found it, I couldn't remember what the knot was for. And it was quite some time before I remembered again. In fact, I'm bending some rules of time right now even being here, so when you see me again after this you mustn't tell me that you've seen me. Got it?"

The Brigadier held a hand to his head as though staving off a sudden headache. "No Doctor I do not. None of this conversation has made any sense since you've arrived. Right now all I care about is figuring out what this entity is. I don't care what face you've got as long as you'll help us, and quite frankly I don't care to hear any of your nonsensical explanations at the moment."

"Well, well somebody is feeling a little grumpy today, aren't we Brigadier?" The Doctor laughed. "But you're right, it is time to get serious. And I'm being serious about not telling anyone I was here, not even Sarah Jane. Chances are the next time you'll see me I'll be...hold on a second." He tipped his head and pondered, counting on his fingers. "Blonde, I think I'll be blonde next time you see me. But that's beside the point, you can't tell anyone that you've seen this particular face, shame that might be." He slapped his own cheeks as he said this, and then grabbed the file out of the Brigadiers hand. "Right, so this must be the file? What kind of entity did you say we were dealing with?"

The Brigadier grabbed the file back. "That is the problem Doctor, we don't know. That's why I called you, something which I am now starting to regret."

"Aw come on now Brigadier, you know you can count on me to help! Now tell me what happened."

The Brigadier briefed the Doctor on the file, and showed him pictures from the scene.

"Mainly what we've got to go on is the eye witness reports of the two children who saw it happen."

The Doctor squinted at one of the pictures. "I'm confused, you told me a boy had been killed, but you haven't found a body? Maybe he just ran away and these two boys are covering for him with some wild story."

"Naturally that's what I thought at first too. But the football we recovered at the scene had a residue that contained organic components not found on Earth, that is why you were called."

The Doctor was still skeptical. "But you haven't recovered a body. Without a body, how can you prove that someone was killed?"

The Brigadier hestitated. "We found seperate, human oraganic residue. We believe the boy was incinerated, so there couldn't be a body."

"Hmmm, well that seems rather convenient, doesn't it Brigadier? Sounds like the perfect crime, almost too perfect. I don't know, there's something weird about the whole thing. It just doesn't feel...right. What would be the motiviation for a giant cloud to come to Earth, just to kill a young boy? What's described in the file sounds more like a transmat, and the cloud was scanning or transmitting something."

It was the Brigadiers turn to be skeptical. "And what would be the motivation for that?"

The Doctor tapped his head. "That's what I'm here to find out!" He walked over to the Tardis and beckoned the Brigadier. "Coming?"

The Brigadier showed his exasperation. "Coming where? What the devil are you on about now, you've only just arrived."

The Doctor was still waiting by the door. "And now I'm leaving. Are you coming with me? I'd like to examine the field where this apparent murder, or abudction, took place."

"Yes Doctor, that's a good idea, but I'll meet you there by train. I'm not stepping foot in that box again." The Brigadier took a step back.

"Aw come on, you'll love it! I've got the whole place redecorated, I'd like to know what you think!"

"I see, just like you've redecorated your face."

The Doctor grinned. "Exactly! Now hurry Brigadier, we haven't got all day."

Relenting, the Brigadier sighed. "Oh all right Doctor, but you had better get me back in one piece." He marched towards the door. "Benton, you're in charge here until I get back." He glared at the Doctor. "Which should be very soon."

The Doctor laughed. "Oh of course Brigadier, I'll have us back before we left." They walked in and the door shut behind them. After a few seconds the Tardis dematerialized, fading into empty space.


	2. Chapter 2

At the same time, about 400 miles away, a blue police box was materializing on a grassy field. The door opened, and the Doctor peeked his head out. "Yes, this is definitely the place. Good job old girl." He gave the door frame of the Tardis a loving pat before proceeding outside. The Brigadier followed closely behind, glad to be on solid earth again. He was not a fan of the Doctor's method of travel, and preferred more terrestrial types of transportation.

"So what do you think of it Brigadier? It really portrays something of my personality, I like it much better than dull, boring white walls!"

The Brigadier couldn't suppress his irritation with the Doctor's facetiousness at what he considered a most inappropriate time. "Really Doctor, don't you think it's more important for us to get to the business at hand rather than discuss your Tardis decor?" The Doctor looked back at him, an expression of mock hurt on his face. "But if you really must know my opinion, I think it's exceedingly ugly."

The Doctor laughed. "Oh all right Brigadier, I'll get to work. Now, where do we start?" He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and adjusted the settings to scan. Lifting it high above his head, the screwdriver began chirping at him.

"There is one piece of information that was not included in the report, Doctor. The boy's parents say he recieved some sort of package on the morning of the incident. It was addressed to the boy, but there was no name given for the sender."

The Doctor paused for a moment. "What was in the package?"

"The parents said it was some sort of wrist watch. Of course they thought nothing of it at the time, but I don't see how the two events can be connected."

"Well we can add it to the list of unanswered questions." The Doctor returned to scanning. "Aha! Exactly what I was looking for."

The Brigadier started forward. "What is it Doctor?"

The Doctor put the screwdriver to his ear and jiggled it back and forth. "I don't know. But it's definitely getting some readings." He brought the screwdriver close to his face and scrutinized it. "Where was the boy attacked?" He looked around and spotted a small section of field that had been cordoned off with yellow tape. "I'll bet it was right there." He began walking towards the enclosed square, and the screwdriver chirped again as he raised it back towards the sky.

"If I may ask, what in the blazes is that thing you're waving around like a madman?"

The Doctor stopped for a moment and turned to the Brigadier. "It's my sonic screwdriver, and I've made some upgrades throughout the years." He started walking again, and continued his scans. As they approached the cordoned section the screwdriver sent out a loud, warning trill. The Doctor looked up and saw, looming in the distance, a large blue cloud approaching them from the West. "Well, well Brigadier, it looks as though we've attracted someone's attention." He rubbed his hands together in glee. "Now we're finally getting somewhere!"

As the cloud edged towards them, the Brigadier started betraying signs of apprehension. After shifting his feet, he cleared his throat. "Surely we should retreat to a place with more cover, Doctor? Perhaps we should get back to the Tardis." He looked at the Doctor, and frowned at the inappropriately exhuberant expression on the Time Lord's face. "Don't tell me you're enjoying all this."

The Doctor laughed. "You know me too well to ask that question, Brigadier!" He pulled the yellow tape down and climbed inside of the square. "If we want to find that boy we're going to have to find out where this cloud comes from, and the only way to do that is to allow it to take us to him." He waved his arms towards the blue cloud, and shouted. "You there, hurry up! We haven't got all day now, have we?"

"Doctor, are you entirely certain that thing is a transportation device? You are taking a rather large risk, I really think it best for us to retreat to an area of cover. There is also the question of who will be there to greet us if it does indeed turn out to be some sort of transmat."

The Doctor smiled. "Yes Brigadier, that's what we came here to find out. And as I said before, the only way to do that is to allow this transmat to take us to whomever is behind this. But you're right, you should wait in the Tardis. I don't want you getting hurt in case I'm wrong." The Brigadier did not need further convincing, and set off at a brisk pace towards the the blue box. He trusted that the Doctor knew what he was doing more then he was letting on, and he needed to get back to UNIT after the Doctor was transported to wherever he was going. The cloud continued it's enexorable drift towards them, it had cleared the trees and was now passing over the field. The Brigadier was not quite to the Tardis before it slowly began to pass over him. Looking up, the Brigadier quickened his pace, and thought that the cloud was drifting rather out of the way of it's original direction. Without further warning a blue bolt struck out, hitting the Brigadier and suddenly he was gone.

The Doctor was still standing in the yellow square, and let out a sharp breath. In a moment he was bounding down the field towards the Tardis, hand held high to the heavens as the screwdriver continued to scan. When he reached the door he studied the screwdriver again, and was delighted to find that the fresh energy readings from the scan allowed him to trace the origin of the teleport. He was also relieved that his gamble was correct, it was a teleport. At least the Brigadier should have survived the trip, although he still could not hazard a guess as to who or what was at the other side of it. He hurried into the Tardis and began setting the controls. Plugging his screwdriver directly into console, he let it communicate to the Tardis the coordinates of the transmat. The engines roared to life as the center dias began to elevate and descend, and the Tardis dematerialized. The Doctor was contemplating his next course of action. He had no idea who or what he was up against, and he wished he hadn't left Amy and Rory on their vacation to Abydos. Since he didn't often have couples on the Tardis, he had thought it might help to give them some time to themselves once in a while, especially after a particularly harrowing adventure. He was suprised that more of his companions didn't suffer from post traumatic stress syndrome. The Tardis engines stopped with a slight lurch, announcing in her typical way that they had arrived at their destination. The Doctor pulled down the monitor, hoping to catch a glimpse of what he was up against. The monitor would not turn on. Puzzled, he flicked the switch back and forth, and still nothing happened. He began adjusting other controls and found that the Tardis was inexplicably powering down all of her systems. The engine hum dropped to a low pitch as the lights flickered and dimmed.

"What are you doing old girl? What's the matter?" The Doctor became increasingly concerned as none of the controls responded to his input. Frustrated, he hit the console, and hurt his hand in the process. Apparently violence was never the answer. After a moment the Doctor heard a slight thud, like something hitting against the exterior door. He slowly crept around the console and toward the entry. He could now hear faint scratching sounds. Someone was putting a key into the lock. He watched as the lock unfastened itself from the outside, and he backed up a few paces. It seemed his arrival was not unanticapted. He mentally cursed himself. How could he be so stupid, of course it was a trap. But who had a key to the Tardis? The door opened and a figure, indistinguishible in the dim light, stepped into the entryway.

"Who the hell are you?" The Doctor called out. "And what are you doing to my Tardis?" The figure said nothing, but stepped forward and slowly began to advance toward the Doctor. The Doctor stepped back, and repeated his inquiry. "I demand you tell me who you are this instant. This is a violation of -"

The figure cut him off. "You're the wrong Doctor."

The voice sounded familiar, but the Doctor couldn't place it. He wracked his brain, and tried to sift through the countless memories of people he had crossed throughout his journeys. He squinted at the intruder through the darkness. The person was definitely male, and as he approached the Doctor he lifted his right arm, revealing a weapon. The Doctor swung around behind the console, putting it between the intruder and himself. The figure stopped, and spoke again. "You don't recognize me yet Doctor? I'm not sure you're likely to. You might not really believe it." He took a step closer. "I'm sure you've forgotten about me by now. You're so careless with the lives of those about you, I can't see how you could remember anyone."

The Doctor was beginning to recognize the voice, but the intruder was right. He didn't believe it. Without thinking, he leaned forward across the console. "Who are you?"

The figure laughed. "You really are stupid. I suppose I must be very obvious with you." He continued to advance, until he was close enough for the Doctor to make out something of his face. The Doctor gasped.

"No... but... that's impossible..."

"You have a time machine. Anything is possible."

The Doctor's voice was barely above a whisper. "But...you were dead..." He looked up at the intruder's eyes. "I couldn't save you."

"You didn't want to save me."

The Doctor wiped his face with his hands, and paced behind the console. "I was under attack. The Cyberleader had damaged the Tardis console. I couldn't get back to the ship on time to save you, I tried." He paused. "I used your badge to kill the Cyberleader, Adric. You saved all of our lives."

His former companion snorted in dirision. "And what about after you fixed the controls? You could've come back for me." He looked much older than the last time the Doctor had seen him. He was heavier, and his dark hair was streaked with grey. He had grown a beard, and he no longer wore the yellow tunic that the Doctor had been so accustomed to seeing him in. "Tell me Doctor, what is the point of having a time machine if you can't use it to save the life of someone you care about?"

"Adric, you know that a person cannot cross their own timeli-"

"That's a lie." Adric held the gun up higher. "You could've come back to get me with no consequence to yourself, or the timeline. You left me to die, when you had the power to save me."

The Doctor didn't know what to say. There were so many things going through his head, so he started with the most obvious question. "How _did_ you survive?"

Adric smirked. "Apparently someone thought I was not so useless, and was of the opinion that preventing my death would be beneficial."

The Doctor furrowed his brow. "And who might that be?"

"Oh really Doctor, I'm not going to fall for that. You're trying to keep me talking while you devise a plan to escape. Not that it matters. I have full control of your Tardis, so you won't be able to go anywhere." He gestured with his weapon. "Now, start moving."

The Doctor stepped out from behind the console and walked over to Adric, looking him straight in the eye. "Why are you doing this?"

At first the Doctor wasn't sure if Adric was going to shoot him, or answer the question. After a moment, Adric finally spoke.

"The Master saved my life. On that ship, just as I had given up hope and resigned myself to death, I heard the Tardis. At first I thought it was you, and I knew that you wouldn't let me die." His face darkened."But it wasn't you, it was the Master."

After initial astonishment, a realization hit the Doctor. "Block transfer computation."

"Yes Doctor, that's correct. The Master needed my computational abilities, and he saw an opportunity in preventing my death. It seems that I'm worth more to my enemies then to my friends." Adric's voice was bitter. "He offered me a choice, death or a partnership with him. I realized that you were never going to come back for me, so I accepted his proposal."

"You're working with the Master?" The Doctor was nonplussed. "But, how long ago did this happen? I've never seen you two together."

Adric considered for a moment. "I suppose I'll give you an explanation, before I kill you. But it will be of little comfort." He sat in one of the Tardis chairs, and gestured at the Doctor to do likewise. Keeping his weapon pointed at the Doctor, he continued. "The Master rescued me shortly after he escaped Castravalva, but our alliance was shortlived. His treacheous nature took over, and he became obsessed with the fear that I might use my abilities to overpower him. I was imprisoned and left to rot. It gave me plenty of time to reflect over the choices that led to my situation. I began to wish I had never left Alzarius, or come to N Space. After many years I was able to facilitate an escape, but at that point it seemed arbitrary. Most of my life has been wasted, imprisoned and isolated. And I came to the conclusion that there is only one way to change that. I needed to find you at a point in time before you had traveled to E Space. If I kill you before we met, then I will have never left Alzarius. I bribed a time agent to take me to Earth, and I created a senario that was unusual enough to ensure that you were called on to help."

The Doctor stood, his mind racing. "So that cloud was you, some sort of block tranfer computational projection? It was all just a ploy to lure me in?" He laughed, despite himself. "What a strange, convoluted plan! Why try to lure me anywhere? You could've just as easily walked up behind and shot me. You really have spent too much time with the Master if all you can come up with is something as stupidly complicated as that."

"You know it's never as simple as that, Doctor. If I were to just go back and kill you before we met, it would create a paradox. If I never came to N Space, then I would not have had a reason to kill you. But the Master once told me that there are ways to hinder a temperal paradox."

The Doctor slapped his forehead. "Of course! You need the Tardis to create a paradox machine."

Adric stood up. "But you're the wrong Doctor. If I kill you now then it will make no difference to my past." He walked over the the console. "Now that I have the Tardis, that won't be a problem." He started adjusting the controls, and the Tardis began powering up. "I knew you couldn't resist a transmat trace, and it led you exactly where I needed you to go." He turned to the Doctor." It's time for you to join your friend, he's waiting for you outside." Adric sneered. "Now move."

The Doctor proceeded towards the Tardis door, desperately trying to think of a way to stall Adric. But the weapon pointed at his back made any further delay impossible. He thought of something and turned on the spot, facing Adric.

"Why should I care if you shoot me now if you're going to kill me anyway?"

"I'm not a killer, Doctor. I don't delight in it, I only want to kill you once if I can help it." He pointed his disintegrator straight at the Doctor's chest. "But only if I can help it."

The Doctor slowly turned back, resigning himself. As they exited the Tardis he saw that they were inside of a large cell, and they were not alone. The Brigadier was sitting on a bench in the corner, next to who the Doctor could only assume was the young boy who had been abducted. He turned to Adric, who was standing in the doorway. He tried one last attempt. "You don't have to do this."

Adric laughed coldly. "Don't worry Doctor, you won't be here long. Soon you will never have existed."

The Doctor watched helplessly as the door closed, and the Tardis faded out of sight.


	3. Chapter 3

"Doctor, what's going on? Where are we?" The Brigadier got to his feet. His eyes passed questioningly over the spot where the Tardis had just vanished, and he sighed. "I take it we're rather stuck here now."

"For the moment, Brigadier, for the moment." The Doctor held up his sonic screwdriver. "Right now we have to assess the situation." He began scanning the bars of the cell.

"Are you going to be able to use that thing to get us out of here?"

The Doctor studied the readings with a frown. "Unfortunately no. These are hadron lines, the sonic screwdriver won't work against them." He put the screwdriver back into his pocket. "That explains how he was able to cut power to the Tardis. Don't touch them, it will kill you instantly." The Doctor sat down, and put his head in his hands. He had encountered many seemingly impossible situations before, but that never seemed to ease the stress of the current one. He did have a small hope, if Adric had been successful then he should have ceased to exist the moment the Tardis dematerialized. His head snapped up. "Brigadier!"

"Yes Doctor?"

"Did he tell you anything about where he was going, or what he was doing?"

"No, nothing of the sort. He told me not to touch the bars of the cell, and that I should look after the boy. He was not particularly responsive to any of my inquiries."

The Doctor stood up and began pacing. His gaze fell upon the young boy, who was huddled with his head in his arms. The Doctor slowly approached him, and spoke softly.

"Hello there, I'm the Doctor. What's your name?"

The boy looked up at him. "P-Peter."

The Doctor smiled encouragingly. "Hello Peter! Don't worry, we're going to get out of here, you can trust me. I just need to ask you some questions, is that ok?" Silently, the boy nodded. "Ok then, now, did the man who took you here tell you anything about where you are?" Peter shook his head. "Do you have any idea why he chose you?" He shook his head again.

"Look Doctor, I doubt he knows anything. You should leave him be, he's been through enough already." The Brigadier put a protective arm around the boy.

"If I can't get some answers than you're both going to rot in this cell forever, Brigadier." He began to pace again, completely absorbed in thought. There was something very obvious that he was missing, something vital, staring him right in the face. He stopped and looked at the boy. He caught a glimpse of something underneath the boy's jacket sleeve, on his left wrist. "Hang on, you got a package on the morning you were taken, didn't you Peter? A wrist watch of sorts?" Peter nodded. "And you're wearing it right now? Can I see it?" Peter pulled up his sleeve, revealing a large leather wristband.

The Doctor held his hand to his mouth, and smiled. "May I please have a look at that?" The boy slid it off his wrist and handed it to the Doctor. He stared at it, amazed. "Where on Earth did you get this Peter?"

Peter shrugged. "Dunno. It arrived in the post. It didn't say who it was from."

Confusion made the Brigadier irritable."Really Doctor, does any of this matter? I fail to see how a wrist watch is going to help get us out of here."

The Doctor laughed. "You're quite right Brigadier, a wrist watch would do little to help us in this situation. But this isn't a wrist watch." As he spoke he began to link arms with Peter and the Brigadier.

Suddenly, the cell blinked out of sight and they disappeared. A moment later they were standing in the middle of UNIT headquarters. Benton was sitting at his desk with his back to them, about to take a sip of coffee.

"It's a vortex manipulator!"

The sudden noise startled Benton, and he jumped, spilling coffee all over the desk. He stood up, and saluted the Brigadier. "Sir!"

The Brigadier was too taken aback to answer him. "A little warning next time, please Doctor." He couldn't keep the anger out of his voice.

"I'm sorry Brigadier, I wasn't entirely sure if it was going to work. But it would appear that it was a success!" The Doctor slapped the boy on the back. "See, I told you I'd get us out of there."

The Brigadier raised his eyebrows. "I still don't understand what happened. How did we arrive here?"

The Doctor showed him the vortex manipulator. "This thing, it's a sort of portable Tardis. I still don't understand how it came to be in the hands of the boy. Unless..." The Doctor paused, a far away look in his eyes. "Yes, that must be it." He looked as though he had made up his mind. "Well Brigadier, I'm sure you have the situation here under control now. I don't think you'll be seeing that blue cloud anymore. I've got to be off, things to do."

The Brigadier nodded. "Yes, I'll see to it that the boy gets home safely. I suppose you have to find your Tardis."

"Yes Brigadier, but I have a matter of some importance to tend to first." He was programming the vortex manipulator as he spoke. "Goodbye Brigadier. Remember, don't tell me that you've seen me!" He disappeared.

The Brigadier shook his head. "That chap is absolutely mad."

Adric was hunched over the controls, running hundreds of computations through his head. He stood up. "There's something missing... something I've forgotten." He leaned down again and continued making adjustments. He was so close. Absorbed in his work, he didn't notice a damaged Cyberman limp quietly onto the bridge. The answer hit him. "Of course, that's it!" He had less than a minute before the ship crashed into Earth. As he leaned forward to input the data, the console in front of him exploded. Adric turned and watched as the dying Cyberman collapsed, clutching it's gun. He faced forward again and stared into the viewscreen at the oncoming planet. "Now I'll never know if I was right."

"Of course you were, you're brilliant!"

Adric jumped and turned around. A strange young man with a red bow tie was standing behind him on the bridge of the ship. "Who the hell are you?" Adric yelled out.

"Never mind about that now, I'm here to save you! Coming?" The Doctor proffered his arm.

Adric hesitated. "Maybe I should wait in case the Doctor-"

"Adric this ship is crashing in exactly five seconds, now come on!" The Doctor grabbed his arm and they disappeared.

They reappeared in total darkness. The Doctor called out. "Adric, are you still with me?"

Adric's voice sounded uncertain. "Yes, I think so. Where are we?"

The Doctor put his arms in front of him and felt something like a thick curtain. Moving around, he found an opening and peaked his head out. They were standing behind a large, floor length tapestry that had been hung in the lobby of an upscale hotel. The Doctor was relieved that he had been able to get Adric off the ship before the Master had arrived, but he wasn't safe yet. The Doctor didn't know if Adric from the present had successfully completed the paradox machine. If that was the case then it didn't matter if he had rescued Adric in the past, the paradox machine would still sustain the present Adric's existence. Which meant the Doctor still had to prevent himself from being murdered. He had taken a gamble on which point in time he believed Adric would choose to kill him, but his instinct was telling him that he was in the right place. A hotel attendant passed by with a phone on a tray, and cast a puzzled glance at the Doctor, who was still half standing behind the tapestry.

"Excuse me one moment Miss, I need to use your telephone." He didn't give her a chance to protest as he grabbed the reciever, and began to dial the Brigadier's direct number at UNIT headquarters. After a few rings, the Brigadier answered.

"Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart here."

"Yes Sir, I just wanted to report that the Doctor's police box has been spotted." The Doctor gave the Brigadier the name and number of the hotel, which was printed on the bottom of the telephone. He hung up and the phone began to ring. "That'll be the Brigadier." He told the attendant. "You'd better answer that." She walked away to take the telephone call, still glancing back uncertainly at him. The Doctor went behind the tapestry again.  
"Adric, just stay here a moment. I'll be back to explain everything very shortly, I just need you to be patient a little while longer." He followed the attendant, but kept a safe distance back. He watched as she approached a scruffy looking gentleman who appeared to be napping in one of the chairs. The man took the phone and spoke briefly before hanging up. The Doctor rolled his eyes. Did he really used to dress like that? The scruffy gentleman stood up and dropped a book onto the ground. Keeping out of sight, the Doctor trailed him as he walked away. After a moment, they both reacted to the same sound. It was the Tardis engines. The scruffy man looked up in suprise as the blue box materialized a few feet in front of him.

He scratched his head under his hat. "I don't remember parking here." The door opened and the elder Adric stepped out, disintegrator in hand. He looked at the Doctor.

"It's you."

The Doctor tossed the long end of his scarf over his shoulder. "Who are you? And what are you doing in my Tardis?"

Adric gave him a long hard stare, before asking, "Do you know who I am?"

"No."

Adric raised his weapon.

"I say, that's no reason to shoot a chap. Why don't you tell me who you are and we'll try to figure out a way to work this out?" The Doctor pulled a small white bag from his pocket. "Perhaps you'd like a jelly baby?"

"I've waited a long time for this moment, Doctor."

"Look here, I've got something rather important to be getting on with. If you don't let me go soon I'm going to have to tie a knot in my hanky!" The Doctor bit off the head of a jelly baby.

Hiding behind a large plant, the Doctor watched himself have a conversation with Adric. Suddenly, he was startled by a sound behind him.

"What's going on?" Young Adric was standing behind him, watching the scene. The Doctor pulled him down and held a finger to his lips. Adric lowered his voice. "That's the Doctor, that man is going to shoot the Doctor!"

The Doctor spoke quietly but urgently. "I know Adric, now you're going to have to listen to me very carefully. I need to get to the Tardis and I need you to wait here. I can't risk you being seen."

"How do you know what the Tardis is? Are you a friend of the Doctor's? Did he send you to rescue me?" The questions poured out of Adric's mouth. "How come he looks like he did before he regenerated?"

The Doctor shushed him again. "I promise I'll tell you everything shortly but it is vital that you listen to me now. Please wait here, I'll be back in a moment." Silently the Doctor crept out from behind the plant, and made his way to the outer wall. If he could just get to the Tardis without Adric seeing him, then he would be able to shut down the paradox machine. The elder Adric was still standing with his weapon raised, he seemed to be struggling with his decision to kill the Doctor. The Doctor could hear him trying to persuade himself.

"I have to do this."

"What do you have to do? If I'm going to be killed I at least have a right to know why." The Doctor had put away the jelly babies, and was now trying to distract Adric from the tall, skinny young man who had snuck up behind him. The young man grinned and gave the Doctor a thumbs up. With elder Adric's back to him, he tiptoed up to the Tardis and pulled out his key. As he went to place it in the lock he heard his old voice address him. "Excuse me young man, what are you doing with a key to my Tardis?" He turned to face elder Adric, who was now staring at him, and put his head in his hand.

"You weren't supposed to WARN him I was trying to get into the Tardis." He glared at his younger self, who was eyeing the key in his hand suspiciously.

"You! How did you escape?" Elder Adric turned back to the younger Doctor. "I must do this now." He lifted his disintegrator and took aim. His finger contracted and he pulled the trigger.

"No!" Young Adric had run to the Doctor, and pushed him out of the way at the last second. He took a full blast to the chest. He screamed and slowly disintegrated, leaving nothing but a small pile of dust. Almost simultaneously, the elder Adric evaporated into thin air. The two Doctors stood, facing each other. The Doctor took off his hat, and looked at the small dusty pile on the carpet.

"Who was that young man?"

The Doctor looked down, a sad look in his eyes. "That was my friend." He turned to face the Tardis and put the key in the lock. He looked back at himself once more, and grinned. "But you'll see him again, soon!" He laughed at the confused expression on his younger self's face, and walked into the Tardis, closing the door behind him. The Doctor stood outside, and watched in puzzlement as the Tardis dematerialized.

"I'm never vacationing on Earth again."

It had taken a little bit of time to dismantle the paradox machine, but the Doctor was sure he had removed every last bit of foreign machinery, aside from that which he himself had installed. There was just a few more things he needed to do. The Tardis engines stopped and he checked the monitor, confirming that he was outside of UNIT headquarters. He opened the door and took a step out. Looking around, he spotted a woman who was standing in front of the building, waiting for him. He smiled as he approached her and she smiled back, pushing the blond curls out of her eyes.

"Hello Doctor."

"Hello River." He held out the vortex manipulator. "I can't thank you enough for this."

She laughed as she took it from him. "I'm glad the plan worked. I've been stuck here waiting for you, I was afraid you'd never come back."

"You know me, I always come back." He started backing up towards the Tardis.

She raised her eyebrows. "Leaving so soon?"

He opened the Tardis door. "I've got to go ask you if you'll send the boy your vortex manipulator." He paused. "See you around River."

"Anytime Doctor." She winked at him, and started entering coordinates into her vortex manipulator. The Tardis door closed, and they both demateralized.

**The End**


	4. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The Tardis materialized onto a small, grassy mound. The Doctor stepped outside, followed by Amy and Rory. Amy looked around, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

"Really Doctor, a cemetery?"

The Doctor sighed. "Please Amy, have a little respect for the dead."

"I'm sorry, it just seems like a strange place to visit when you've got all of time and space to choose from."

The Doctor was bent over, reading a name on a tombstone. "You don't have to stay out here Amy, you can always wait in the Tardis. This won't take more than a few minutes." He straightened up and looked around. "Actually, it may take a little longer. This place is enormous." He began to walk, taking a moment to read the name on each tombstone. It became obvious to Amy and Rory that he was searching for a specific grave.

Rory cleared his throat. "Is there anything you need help with, Doctor? Are you looking for someone?"

The Doctor didn't answer, but continued his search. Amy and Rory followed him in silence. They had just been on the Tardis, planning a trip to Titan, when the Doctor received a mysterious phone call, which he took in private. He emerged a few moments later, and set the controls on the console without speaking a word to anyone. And now they were here, in a cemetery, searching for an unknown grave.

After almost a half hour of complete silence, the Doctor had found what he was looking for. The tombstone was enormous, and had been placed at a prominent position within the cemetery. The Doctor knelt down in front of it, bowing his head. Amy and Rory stood behind him, and silently read the tombstone. It said:

"**Here Lies **

**Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart**

**16/12/1929 – 22/02/2011"**

Underneath his name followed a large list of accolades and achievements that he had been honored for. Amy thought that it was no wonder his tombstone was so large, otherwise there would have been no way to fit everything.

She looked at the Doctor. His eyes were closed, he was deep in thought. She knelt down beside him and spoke softly.

"Who was this man? Was he a friend of yours, Doctor?"

Her voice startled the Doctor, almost as though he had forgotten she was there. He looked at her, and Amy could see the mist that had welled up in his eyes. His voice slightly cracked as he spoke.

"Yes Amy, he was a friend. A very dear friend. The best friend a Time Lord could have."

A single tear slowly trickled down the Doctor's cheek. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out something thin and silver. It was his first sonic screwdriver. He gently placed it among the fresh flowers that adorned the tombstone. He stood up and sniffed, wiping his nose.

"Goodbye for now, old Chap. Rest in Peace. You will be missed."

**The End**

_This was not the original ending to this story, but I thought it would be fitting to have a tribute to the Brig. RIP Nicholas Courtney._


End file.
